Living in Limbo
by Googleeyes
Summary: Erik dies a most confusing death and finds himself in a strange mansion with all sorts of wild characters. He also finds he has the opportunity to return to Earth and discover what has happened since his death. Will he take it? Leroux-based.
1. Erik's Most Confusing Death

Erik laid back in his coffin, at last it would be put to good use, and clutched the pages of Don Juan to his chest. He felt a sense of calmness and slight excitement come over him as he began to gasp his last breaths. At last! Death, which he had so eagerly anticipated for so long, was nearly upon him. He felt himself fading, the combined effects of starvation, fatigue from staying awake for a week and half straight, and old age beginning to take their toll. Erik felt a smile come over his twisted, unmasked visage, knowing he would soon be out of his misery. He was dying of love indeed, for love had caused him to ignore all his basic needs, leading to these final minutes. Sometime very soon, he would die and Christine would come back to bury him. Of course, he would probably be in Hell by then, so he wouldn't notice, but the thought of her as the last creature to be near him...

Suddenly Erik found himself unable to breathe anymore. A great sense of overwhelming tiredness came over him and he succumbed to it, not fighting one bit. He felt himself fade completely and the world went black.

Quick flashes of his life flew past as Erik felt himself falling ever down, into a pit with no end. He saw bits of his childhood, his mother turning away in shame from her child. He saw himself in Persia, building great palaces and torturing people while the Sultana watched on eagerly. He saw himself fleeing Persia to escape the death that had been sentenced him. He saw himself building ordinary houses in Paris, then working on the Opera House. He saw himself seeing Christine for the first time, then tutoring her through the mirror. He saw Christine's triumph and watched himself watch her and Raoul, jealousy stabbing at him like a knife. He saw himself tricking the mangers and laughing in glee about his little trick, making grand plans with Christine as his wife and happily telling the Persian about them. He saw Raoul and the daroga in the torture chamber while he and Christine watched them. Finally he saw himself lying in his coffin with Don Juan clutched to his chest, dying.

The endless pit seemed to reach an end and Erik landed on hard, pointed rocks that jabbed at his body. It was impossibly hot, so hot he thought he would die if he had not already been dead. It seemed quite like the torture chamber, but without the jungle illusion and iron tree. Overall, it was rather an unpleasant place. But, Erik thought, it was what he deserved. He looked around at the blistering rock walls of what seemed a cave and decided he might as well find some way to entertain himself. He was going to be stuck in this place for eternity, after all.

Just as Erik was getting off the ground and standing up, he felt his feet knocked from under him as a pleasantly cool something began to suck him up. He watched as the rocky cave fell away and he found himself in some sort of vertical tunnel that was pulling him up. His cheeks were being pulled away from his face in a slightly disconcerting fashion, so Erik attempted to pull them back down, but it was no use. He gave up and watched the scenery pass by in winding, swirling colours and what looked oddly like a rectangular blue box. As Erik was beginning to puzzle over the strange shape, he suddenly found himself being pulled out of the tunnel and into a compressing black tube, which was really quite uncomfortable. Then he popped out.

* * *

_This is based on an idea I had after watching the movie "Ghost" with some influence from an RPG on LJ that I have nothing to do with but came across one day and a movie about the tooth fairy that I can't remember the name of. Yes, the tooth fairy. Anyway, various crossovers will be coming up eventually, along with more information about where exactly Erik has landed.  
_


	2. The Limbo Mansion

He landed in what seemed to be a plainly decorated room with no windows and a door on one wall. It almost reminded him of his house. Glancing around, he saw a smiling man in a blue uniform watching him and standing by the door. This whole death thing was turning out to be much more complicated than he had expected and he dearly wanted to know where exactly he was. Deciding the man might have some information, Erik approached him. The man merely smiled wider.

"Excuse me, Monsieur, but do you have any idea where I am?" he asked, deciding it would be best to be polite before demanding and threatening.

The man nodded. "Yes, I know exactly where you are. You are in a sort of limbo." He glanced down at a sheet of paper. "You are Erik, no?"

Erik nodded, wondering how the man knew his name.

"Good. I am the Doorman. Let's see, Erik. You have been brought here because of the debatable nature of your morality. You led a rather...sinful life that would usually earn you a one way ticket to fire and flames, but you had some redeeming moments as well. Therefore, you are here until judgement can be given. That can be anywhere from a day to an eternity, so it'd probably be best to make yourself comfortable. In fact, I'll show you to your room then give you the grand tour."

The Doorman opened the single door and gestured Erik through. He exited into a green-carpeted hallway that seemed to stretch on for eternity. It was lined with plain brown doors, each with a brass nameplate above the frame. The Doorman led Erik some length down the hallway until they reached a door whose nameplate read "Erik". Erik stared at his name in a mixture of confusion and some sort of wonder, and would have stood in the same place for who knows how long if the Doorman hadn't prodded him into the room.

He entered to find a fairly plain room with unobtrusive pale wallpaper and a four poster bed made of pale wood with light beige drapes. Erik's upper lip twitched involuntarily at the pale colour scheme.

"It's too light," he muttered.

"Not to worry," the Doorman replied cheerfully. "It will automatically adjust itself to fit your tastes, just give it a day or two. You have some clothes of varying formality in the wardrobe, should you wish to change. Now, would you like me to point out the highlights and rules of this place?"

Erik nodded, ready for an excuse to get away from the annoyingly light room. The Doorman smiled and led him back into the hallway, where they walked for a while until coming to a fork. The Doorman led him off down the corner rather than continuing in the same direction. Erik looked up at the nameplates and found that they now listed locations and rooms rather than names. There was "Dining Room," "Ballroom," "Parlour," "Theatre" (which Erik smiled at), "Grounds," "Pantry," "Balcony/Roof," "Bathroom," "Library," "Powder Room," and an inviting silver one which read "Outside World".

The Doorman must have noticed Erik looking at the last plate. "Ah, yes. The outside world. I'll get to that in a minute. First, about the rooms. This limbo world takes the form of a mansion for everyone who died after 1600 and before 1950. Don't worry about the forms it takes for other time periods, they're not important. Anyway, because it takes the form of a mansion, it has various rooms you can enter. The names are fairly self-explanatory. You are allowed to enter any room you wish at any time. You are also allowed to enter the room of any other person you meet, providing you have their permission. There is no breaking and entering here, because the doors will lock you out if you are not with the room's occupant.

"Now, there is also a door that leads to the outside world. This also has fairly unlimited access, though there are some things you should be aware of. First of all, if you wish to enter the outside world, you must specify where and when you want to go before stepping into the portal. Don't look so confused, you'll understand when you see it. If you are taking people with you, you must be touching them in some way at all times if you don't want to lose them. Now, once you arrive in the outside world, you will be a ghost. You will be invisible to all but a select few and helpless to influence events. You can pick up and move objects if you wish, but anything that affects the flow of events in your timeline will not be allowed. Most people will be unable to hear you, though some that cannot see you will be able to hear you and vice versa. Other ghosts will always be able to see, hear, and touch you. On the subject of touch, you will usually be unable to touch living people, except in extraordinary circumstances. Apart from that, you'll figure out the rest as you go along.

"So, before I set you loose, I'll go over a bit about the other occupants. I mentioned the time period, I believe. However, you will occasionally see people who died earlier or later in history, though they won't stay for long. You yourself can visit the limbo worlds of other periods if you can figure out how. Also, some of the occupants may not seem as if they should be here. But remember, some of the most angelic people have terrible dark secrets and some of the most evil and terrible have redeeming moments strong enough to earn them a spot in limbo. With that, you may go. Have fun!"

The Doorman headed off, leaving Erik standing alone in the location hallway, rather confused. Beginning to grow bored with just standing there, he decided to check out the library.

* * *

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. If I did, I wouldn't be wasting my time writing fanfics, I would be spending my oodles of money. This applies to all chapters. _

_Crossovers coming up next chapter! Please review, also!_


	3. The Library and What Follows

He opened the plain brown door and stepped into a richly furnished room, with bookcases from the wall to the high-vaulted ceiling taking up all the wall space and several smaller bookcases scattered throughout the floor space. Enormous rolling ladders stood at the end of each of the taller bookcases and Erik noticed people on some of them, as well as several people sitting in the plush chairs, sofas, divans and at the various tables spread out in the remaining floor space. He decided to walk over to a shelf, grab the first book he touched, and waste some time reading.

Sticking to his plan, he walked to the nearest shelf and grabbed a book. Examining the cover, he found it was _The Phantom of the Opera_, written by some bloke called Gaston Leroux. How ironic. Erik couldn't quite recall anyone named Leroux, though perhaps it had been the plump chap who was always poking about where he shouldn't and scribbling things down on sheets of paper. Yes, it was probably him. At any rate, it should prove an interesting read. Erik headed for a chair and sat down to read.

Some time later, he became aware that someone sitting behind him was reading over his shoulder. Erik slammed the book shut, being sure to save his place, and turned to glare at the person, a rather meek and tired looking man.

"What do you want? Read your own book."

The man winced and shrank back slightly. "I'm so terribly sorry. I was only wondering what you were reading."

"If you must know, it's _The Phantom of the Opera_. Now mind your own business," Erik replied curtly, curious to see what else this Leroux fellow could come up with. He'd gotten a fair amount right, but some claims were wildly incorrect. For instance, Phillipe had never had an affair with Sorelli; everyone knew he'd been with one of the stagehands. Of course, he had put on a bit of a show with Sorelli, but never mind that. None of it was important now anyway. Erik sighed and wondered whether Christine had stayed true to her promise and if she was having a wonderful time with Raoul as her new husband. Just as he was about to enjoy a nice wallow in self pity, he felt a tap on the shoulder again. Jerking his head around, he glared at the man again and resisted the urge to strangle him.

"What do you want now?" he hissed through his teeth. "Erik does not appreciate you bothering him while he is wondering about the events after his death and wallowing in self pity."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," the man apologised quickly. "I'll leave you alone if you like."

"Yes, do that." Erik turned back to the book, nearly ripping the cover in half before taking a few deep breaths and calming down a bit. He was beginning to get rather interested in the book now. Who knew reading someone else's account of your life could be so entertaining? Suddenly he heard people talking behind him and turned around in irritation to find the man talking to another, very pale, man.

"Keep it down," he muttered at them. "This is a library and I'm trying to read. And I really do suggest you listen to me."

"Sorry," the man from earlier apologised again. "We'll try to be quieter."

Erik grunted, rolled his eyes, and returned to his book. He was jerked out of it once more when a loud laugh distracted him. He shoved a place marker into it, jumped up, and turned around to face the pair.

"This is a library! Libraries are for reading quietly and allowing the same courtesy to others, not standing around talking and laughing LOUDLY with friends! Erik would very much appreciate it if two would just leave! Leave Erik in peace!" He lunged at them both, using the book as a weapon until someone came and pulled him away.

He turned and growled at the dark, muscular man who seemed entirely too used to this. The man ignored him and dragged his thin frame to the door of the library, muttering something about violent lunatics and someone named Bertha before dumping Erik outside the library. Shortly after, the pair from earlier were deposited in the same place, by the same man, who still looked rather bored. The library doors closed and Erik was left with the two men.

He nearly attacked them again, but his lunge was met with a return attack by the pale man. The other man merely slumped in the corner, looking depressed. After realising their fight was going nowhere, Erik and the pale man abandoned the pursuit. Erik turned his attention to the man in the corner.

"What are you so upset about?"

The man sighed. "It's nothing, really. I've just never been thrown out of the library before. I rather like the library, and would have much preferred to remain in there. I wouldn't have gotten kicked out if it weren't for him." He glared at the pale man, who rolled his red eyes.

"Oh shut it. You were talking too. It wasn't completely my fault."

"Of course it wasn't." He sighed again. "I really would be better off if I didn't hang around you so much."

"Right, you would be little Mr Perfect and Well-Behaved. You aren't as good as you think you are. There's a reason you ended up here instead of up there." The pale man gestured to the ceiling.

"I know," the other man groaned. "Do you think I don't have to think about it every day? I wouldn't be here if it weren't for that one mistake. Oh, I am the most miserable man..."

"I don't want to hear it," the pale man cut him off. "I have to listen to you whine every day and I'm sick of it."

"Er, not to disturb your argument, but I have no idea what's going on," Erik announced. "Would someone mind filling me in? To start with, who are you two?"

The man who had been whining took the lead. "I'm Dr. Henry Jekyll," he replied, extending his hand. Erik shook it cautiously. "You may have heard of me."

"Sorry, no. I've never heard of you."

"Oh." Jekyll looked puzzled. "When did you die?"

"1881, I believe. In Paris. Under the Opera House. In a coffin."

"In a..." he began, but thought better of it and stopped. "Well, I came a few years later. In 1881 I was just a nice, respectable, ordinary upper-middle class doctor." He stared into space with a smile on his face, as if lost in a pleasant daydream.

Erik ignored him and turned his attention to the other man. "And you are?"

"Hawley Griffin," the man muttered, keeping his hands to himself.

Erik made no effort to shake hands either and for a while they merely watched each other silently before deciding to watch Jekyll, who was still lost in his past.

"I, er, believe I forgot to ask your name," Griffin announced after some time. "Who are you?"

"Erik," he replied simply, wondering if he should be more specific and rattle off a few of his aliases as well.

"Erik what?"

"What?"

"Oh, your last name, what is it?"

"I have none."

Griffin looked a bit surprised, but nothing too extreme. "You said you're from Paris, you died in the Opera House. Did you work there?"

Erik smiled, but noticed the other man wouldn't see it under the mask he'd just realised he was wearing. "In a way," he replied, now wondering about the mask.

"Ah, I see." Once again it seemed details would perhaps be better left unknown.

"Have either of you gone to the outside world?" Erik asked, changing the subject.

"Once or twice," Griffin replied and Jekyll nodded.

"About the same here. It can be enlightening, though a bit frustrating because you can't really do much. Why do you ask? Is there something you wanted to check up on?"

Erik shrugged. "I was wondering what happened after my death. I asked someone to...dispose of my corpse and I would like to know if she followed through with her promise."

"I'll go with you, if you like," Jekyll suggested. "I've always wanted to visit Paris and I think the Opera House would be quite an interesting place to be."

"I'll go as well, I suppose," Griffin added. "Just because I think you have some interesting secrets there and I'm beginning to get curious. I don't mind opera, either."

"So, we're going, then?" Erik asked, looking back and forth at the two for confirmation.

"Sure. Why not? We can go right now. It's not as if any of us have anything better to do." Griffin laughed hollowly. "Or as if we'll have anything better to do in the next eternity or so."

"Let's go," Jekyll called, and led them down the hallway toward the door marked with the silver plaque.

* * *

_Sorry for not updating in a month. It feels long to me, though I've read many stories that were updated far less often, so I suppose it isn't overwhelmingly long. Anyway, long story short, school, homework, and theatre have kidnapped my life and temporarily held it hostage. Hopefully they'll return it for summer break. Also, I have way too many other stories with more ideas randomly popping into my head. Some of these ideas have aided in the kidnapping of my life._

_Thank you to Beautifully Tragic-Tragically Beautiful for reminding me of the movie title. It is "Toothless" with Kirstie Alley.  
_

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